True Blood Season 5 rekindled audience faith in the television series based on Charlaine Harris’ The Southern Vampire Mysteries novels. Previous seasons of the series received positive reviews but it seemed the show was struggling to recapture its addictive qualities. With Season 5, True Blood reclaimed its magic, justifying the need for two more seasons.
The fantasy horror drama created by Alan Ball premiered in September 2008 on HBO. It concluded in August 2014 after Season 7 with a total of 80 episodes. HBO announced a reboot in late 2020 but has abandoned the quest. The series ranks among the best vampire shows and during its run, it received multiple nominations for Emmys, winning at least two.
When Did True Blood Season 5 Air?
True Blood returned for Season 5 on June 10, 2012. The season concluded on August 26, 2012, with a total of 12 episodes. It is the last season of the supernatural drama series with 12 episodes: Season 6 and Season 7 aired 20 episodes altogether, 10 for each season. Softly based on Dead as a Doornail, the fifth book in Harris’ series, True Blood Season 5 follow up the events of Season 4 to tie loose ends.
The season saw the return of all the main cast and characters. It also features four special guest cast—Kevin Alejandro as Jesus Velasquez, William Sanderson as Bud Dearborn, Alfre Woodard as Ruby Jean Reynolds, and Adina Porter as Lettie Mae Daniels. Ball stepped aside as showrunner at the end of the season and it probably contributed to the low approval ratings of the subsequent seasons.
Season 5 Took Several Big Risks Which Ultimately Paid Off
All the preceding seasons of True Blood premiered to positive reviews, howbeit the series needed to find a purpose with its narrative arc. Season 5 proved this to be true as it introduced new elements that stimulated more drama, invigorating the show to sustain viewers’ appetite for another season. While at that, it united the many subplots of the series, giving it a renewed focus by connecting the events to the lead character— Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin).
Creator Alan Ball risked having a wandering Season 5 when he opted to incorporate stories from subsequent books in the Charlaine Harris series; instead of solely dwelling on the fifth book. But then, straying from the original storyline afforded him a broader perspective to explore stories that yielded more drama. At the same time, it allowed the unraveling of several characters, thereby creating a depth of characters with shreds of stories tied to the greater chaos.
Though the season did wander, it was worth it at the end as all the periphery stories were meaningfully connected to the central story. There was a unity of focus, unlike the previous season with several disconnected stories vying for attention. More so, True Blood Season 5 took a break from Sookie’s romantic relationships to explore other areas of her life, thus solidifying the leading character’s commitment to the unfolding events.the series needed to find a purpose
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